Overview
- The Jackson County Legislature voted to remove Manny Abarca and elected Donna Peyton as chair by a 7-0 vote with Abarca abstaining.
- Abarca had publicly accused legislative employee Calvin Williford of offering him a campaign contribution for support of a housing project that was shelved in February and alleged colleague DaRon McGee accepted a similar payment.
- Sheriff Darryl Forte confirmed that federal investigators are now working the bribery accusations Abarca made public.
- Vice Chair Sean Smith and Peyton said their push to replace Abarca predated the accusations and cited his self-appointments to key committees and repeated absences as governance concerns.
- County Executive Phil LeVota urged the Legislature to continue county business under Peyton, while Abarca plans to file ethics complaints and the probe raises the risk of legal and operational disruptions for the county.